Reid called on Snyder "to do what is morally right'' by changing the name. Reid has criticized the name before, telling The Washington Post in March that he thinks it will be changed within three years.

Reid said his state has 22 tribes and that the only tradition behind the Redskins' name was one of racism.

Other prominent politicians have criticized or questioned the Redskins' name. President Barack Obama told The Associated Press in October: "If I were the owner of the team and I knew that the name of my team - even if they've had a storied history - was offending a sizable group of people, I'd think about changing it.''

Several members of Congress, including Republicans and Democrats, have urged Snyder to change the team's name.

Tuesday, D.C. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton praised Silver for acting without hesitation when faced with racism, adding the NFL shouldn't resist changing a name that has "racist and demeaning connotations."